Metsä Board

ESPOO, Finland, Dec. 9, 2021 (Press Release) -Valmet will supply a long-term Performance Agreement and a board machine rebuild to Metsä Board Husum in Sweden. The main goal is to increase board machine BM 1’s Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) and annual folding boxboard (FBB) capacity by 200,000 tonnes. Valmet delivered BM 1 to Metsä Board in 2016. The start-up of the rebuilt BM 1 is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2023.

The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the fourth quarter 2021. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The total value of an order of this type and delivery scope is typically around EUR 70–80 millions.

Currently, the annual FBB capacity of BM 1 is 400,000 tonnes, and after the investment it will rise to 600,000 tonnes. Metsä Board is responding to the growing demand for sustainably produced packaging materials that support the circular economy.

“We were looking for one reliable partner who could deliver this extensive project from stock preparation to winders, and additionally support our long-term efficiency improvement efforts. We also demanded quite low CO2 emission levels for the size drying as well as highly automated parent roll logistics. Valmet was able to meet all of these requirements,” says Ari Kiviranta, Senior Vice President, Technology, Metsä Board.

“At Valmet, we are extremely happy to continue this deep collaboration with Metsä Board to develop the Husum Mill further. Our long and trustworthy cooperation with both the customer and the mill have played a key role in this journey,” says Mikko Tani, Area Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet’s delivery for the BM 1 rebuild will include a Performance Agreement, additional equipment for the stock preparation system, and significant improvements to the whole machine and the following parent roll handling, off-machine coater, and winder.

In 2022, already before the rebuild of BM 1, the life cycle Performance Agreement will be set up by establishing the tools and a common way to operate. The agreement work will be started by improving the current BM 1’s overall equipment efficiency (OEE). The work will continue by supporting the start-up and further optimization of BM 1’s efficiency. The agreement will be based on Valmet's Industrial Internet solutions and Performance Center operations. This collaboration will ensure a first-class start-up and high performance during the entire life cycle of the machine.

For BM 1, Valmet’s delivery will include equipment for stock preparation, and the broke collection system will be upgraded to meet the new requirements. Small improvements will be done in the wet end to improve the runnability and to increase the drying capacity. Most of the improvements will be done in the dry end of BM 1: the drying capacity of the predryer and afterdryer sections will be significantly increased by adding more dryer cylinders, a new OptiSizer Film with supply systems and air dryers, and a new OptiCalender Hard and OptiReel Linear will be also included in the delivery. The existing unwind and reel of the off-machine coater will be upgraded as well. The delivery will also include highly automated transfer rails and parent roll carts, which will connect BM 1, BM 2, and the off-machine coater to a new OptiWin Drum two-drum winder and other winders. All the machines and equipment included in Valmet’s delivery will be delivered installed.

The board machine with a 7,250-mm-wide fabric produces folding boxboard and liquid packaging board with a basis weight range of 155–355 g/m2. The mechanical design speed of the new parts will be 1,000 m/min.

About the customer Metsä Board

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is a leading European producer of premium fresh fiber paperboards. The company focuses on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards, and white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibers the company uses in its products are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests. Metsä Board is a forerunner in sustainability and aims for completely fossil free mills and raw materials by 2030. Together with its customers, Metsä Board develops innovative packaging solutions to create better consumer experiences with less environmental impact.

VALMET

Corporate Communications

Valmet is the leading global developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. We aim to become the global champion in serving our customers.

Valmet's strong technology offering includes pulp mills, tissue, board and paper production lines, as well as power plants for bioenergy production. Our advanced services and automation solutions improve the reliability and performance of our customers' processes and enhance the effective utilization of raw materials and energy. 

Valmet's net sales in 2020 were approximately EUR 3.7 billion. Our 14,000 professionals around the world work close to our customers and are committed to moving our customers' performance forward - every day. Valmet's head office is in Espoo, Finland and its shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. 

ESPOO, Finland, Dec. 2, 2021 (Press Release) -A plastic-reducing alternative to potato packaging has been introduced by Finnish Tuorekartano Oy when it recently launched its special potatoes in paperboard packaging. Tuorekartano Oy's premium quality La Ratte potatoes will now be packed in easily recyclable and biodegradable packaging made of a lightweight and durable paperboard produced by Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group. The paperboard is ideally suited to protect the potatoes from damage and sunlight. The small package size will also help to reduce food waste.

"Tuorekartano is a company committed to Agenda 2030 and Commitment 2050 and has set itself clear sustainability targets. Plastic-free packaging, such as La Ratte cartons, is part of these goals. We have already reduced the amount of plastic in our packaging materials by 25%," says Kari Kastari, CEO of Tuorekartano Oy.

The packaging is made of lightweight MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB paperboard, which is made from pure fresh fibres and is suitable for direct contact with food. The dispersion coating of the board improves the moisture and grease resistance of the board, and the packaging can be easily recycled and is also suitable for home composting.

"Environmental issues are important to us, which is why we are constantly improving our operations and production processes to make them more environmentally friendly. It is therefore important that the materials we use are recyclable and suitable for food contact. Metsä Board's paperboard meets our requirements both in terms of the environment and providing excellent printability," says Kalle Hurttila, Production Director at Hurtti-Paino Oy, the producer of the La Ratte packaging.

Metsä Board

Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards. We focus on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibres we use in our products are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests. We are a forerunner in sustainability, and we aim for completely fossil free mills and raw materials by 2030.

Together with our customers we develop innovative packaging solutions to create better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. In 2020, our sales totalled EUR 1.9 billion, and we have about 2,400 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

Metsä Group

Metsä Group leads the way in the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, developing bioproducts and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales is approximately EUR 5.5 billion, and we have around 9,200 employees in 30 countries. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forest: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative owned by 100,000 forest owners. 

ESPOO, Finland, Nov. 24, 2021 (Press Release) -Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, has successfully started to deploy Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform in development and testing of packaging solutions at its Excellence Centre. With packaging simulation Metsä Board can notably speed up packaging development and reduce carbon footprint of packaging.

Simulation enables 85% faster development compared to the traditional way of making multiple tests with physical prototypes. Simulation technologies help manage the development of the entire product life cycle, from material selection to delivery. The new technology helps Metsä Board recommend optimal packaging materials as well as packaging structures to its customers.

“We wanted to accelerate our rate of innovation to help our customers – packaging manufacturers as well as brand owners – with optimal packaging solutions and reduce their carbon footprint. For example, box compression as well as drop tests can now be made in hours compared to several days or even weeks with traditional physical testing methods,” says Markku Leskelä, SVP Development, Metsä Board.

The state-of-the-art solution of Dassault Systèmes and their expertise from past engagements in the aerospace and automotive industry has helped deploy new technologies to the manufacturing of fibre-based packaging.

Metsä Board

Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards. We focus on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibres we use in our products are a renewable resource, traceable to origin in sustainably managed northern forests. We are a forerunner in sustainability, and we aim for completely fossil free mills and raw materials by 2030.

Together with our customers we develop innovative packaging solutions to create better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. In 2020, our sales totalled EUR 1.9 billion, and we have about 2,400 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.

Metsä Group

Metsä Group leads the way in the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, developing bioproducts and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales is approximately EUR 5.5 billion, and we have around 9,200 employees in 30 countries. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forest: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative owned by 100,000 forest owners.